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Ellen Burstyn has detailed the reason she finally decided to return to The Exorcist franchise. And yes, it’s about money. But no, it’s not a selfish reason by any means.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Ellen Burstyn, who played actress Chris McNeil in The Exorcist, mother of the head-spinning, pea soup-spewing Regan, discussed why she will reprise her role for the sequel.
“I’ve turned down many versions of The Exorcist 2. I’ve said no every time. This time they offered me a whole bunch of money and I still said no. And then they surprised me and they came back and said, ‘We doubled the offer.’ I said, ‘OK, let me think about this.’”
After considering perhaps “the devil is asking my price”, Burstyn backed off. Still, she decided to take the paycheck–not for herself but rather students involved with the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University.
“The next thought that came to mind was, ‘My price is a scholarship program for talented students at our master’s degree program at Pace University. That’s my price.’ So I then went back and upped their up and ended up getting what I want. And I’ve got a scholarship program for young actors.”
Ellen Burstyn has reportedly shot most of her scenes for The Exorcist sequel.
In addition to her film roles, Burstyn is a member of Lee Strasberg’s famed Actors Studio beginning in the 1960s. She has been co-president for over 20 years.
The latest Exorcist installment will kick off a planned trilogy, with the first film set for an a 2023 release, the 50th anniversary of the first film. David Gordon Green, whose Halloween trilogy concludes this October, directs. Other cast members announced so far include Ann Dowd and Leslie Odom Jr.
Are you looking forward to seeing Ellen Burstyn return to The Exorcist? Do you trust David Gordon Green with the material?
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